Just about everyone has packed up and gone home.  But the week would not be complete without at least one more interview.  The Financial Times is here and shooting a piece on the blogosphere and the Big Tent.  Right now they are filming this over my shoulder.

I wonder if the blogosphere wrote more stories about the media than the media has about the blogosphere this week.  Here is a question for people.  Will be the media still be coming around to interview bloggers as a novelty story in 2012, or we cease being quite as interesting?

As for me, this has been a week I will never, ever forget.  It has been historic, inspiring and exhausting.  I worked my tail off and had a lot of fun.  Progress Now (with which Courage Campaign is affiliated) and Daily Kos did an amazing job pulling off the Big Tent.  Sure there were hiccups, but by and large it was a huge success.  Heck, the Smithsonian came by earlier today to pick up paraphernalia and get them signed by the organizers.  They will be going in an exhibit, if that gives you a sense of how big of a deal it was.  We have come a long ways from the Tank in 2004.  I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the next four years.

Awesome performance by Brian Schweitzeer, focusing on energy independence and how we can’t trust John McCain and the Republicans to get us there.

Governor Schweitzer delivered yet another zinger against McCain:

You could drill in all of McCain’s back yards, even the ones he doesn’t know he has!

Schweitzer also got the crowd riled and built some energy by asking everyone to stand up and make their voices heard.  It got loud in there, at least judging from the TV’s at the Big Tent.

All in all, those who wanted some McCain bashing at this convention are certainly getting quite their fill.  And now we’re all waiting for the main event: Hillary Clinton and how well she puts the “Democrats divided” garbage to bed.

The theme of Michelle’s speech has to be the American Dream.

“My dad was our rock.”

She said he woke up a little earlier and worked a little harder when talking about her father using two canes to move across the room to give her mom a kiss.

“Their dream endures.”

“Even though he had this funny name…his family was so much like mine.” Struggling working class, so that their kids could have things they never could.

“America should be a place where you can make it if you try.”

“My piece of the American dream is a piece of the hard won victories of those before me.”

Loud cheer for Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.  “People who have never forgot where they came for and who they are fighting for.”

Signs for her speech: “Common Values.  Common Purpose.”

“This time we listened to our hopes and not our fears.”

After the speech Barack joined them live on the big screen.  Sasha and Malia stole the freaking so.  Totally adorable.  That clip is going to be everywhere.  Especially when she was jumping up and down wanting the mike back to tell Barack that she loved him.  Adorable!

Still having issues with the pictures.  Sorry guys.  I’m out of here.  Day one down.  Three to go.  This was an incredible night, one I will never forget.  I am so honored and proud to be here at this historic event.

Sen. Claire McCaskil’s kids were up on stage to introduce her.  Her son Austin was the speaker and recalled the wonderful story of how his sister urged her to get on the trail for Obama after she cried during Obama’s Iowa victory speech.  IIRC there was a great article about it in Vanity Fair a few months ago.

Sen. McCaskill is doing a good job telling both the Barack and Michelle Obama story.  “Barack Obama’s story is an American story”.

“I saw him take on both parties to help pass the furthest reaching ethics reform since Watergate.”

“That’s the change we need.”

“I know the son of a single mom will stand up for the needs of our daughters.”

McCasill just relayed the story of finding her mom and her daughters huddled around a computer gChatting with Obama volunteers.

“Yes We Can!”

My connection is slowing down some.  More users on here then before I imagine. I’ll update with pictures when they finish uploading.

There was palpable emotion in the room as the video tribute to Sen. Teddy Kennedy ended and he took the stage.  The audience leapt to their feat waving signs that simply ready “KENNEDY”.  Teddy seemed to have a bit difficulty walking, but he is tearing it up on stage.

Here are a few snippits from what was a wonderful speech that was very much about Obama taking up the Kennedy mantle.

“There is a new wave of change all around us and if we set our compass through we will reach our destination.”

“This November this torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans.”

Kennedy closed his remarks by saying “The dream lives on.” and exited a stage covered in Kennedys to “You’re still the one”.

Sitting to my right is Elizabeth Badger, the Founder/Chair of the Minority Outreach Committee.  This is her first convention and she is here as an Obama delegate.  Oh and says that her kids better be behaving, even though she is away.  

Rep. Laura Richardson just sat on my left and immediately said everything was off the record, but then Elizabeth, referring to herself as just a mere delegate said she wasnt relevant.

Congresswoman Richardson insisted I take this down and said “Everyone is relevant, absolutely.  It is going to take every single one of us to win this thing.

This is my first convention, we are all in this together.”

This too is my first convention.  My uncle Jay was one of the original few bloggers in 2004 and I am doing my best to carry on the tradition.

The Pepsi Center is filling up.  American flags have been passed out.  The signs people are waving are all hand made pro-Obama ones, though “Change We Can Believe In” printed ones are making their way around.  My toe is tapping to “Respect” while Rep. Richardson and Elizabeth dance on either side of me.  Just about everyone here is grinning, snapping pictures and/or playing on their phones.

I’ve only got my iPhone with me, but luckily it takes pretty decent pictures.  I’ll be uploading them to my Flickr DCN08 set.  

Here are a few.  This first is the view from my seat while Rep. Baca was speaking.  The California delegation is stage left just off of the bottom floor, where the swing states are located.  CNN’s broadcasting booth is just to the right and in front of us.  Right now I can see Anderson Cooper, Donna Brazile and John King all made up and miked up.

More photos on the flip, including one of me and Darryl Hannah heh.

The Daily Show in the house! That’s John Oliver with the mic and Jason Jones to the left.

People milling about in the foyer after the entrance to the Pepsi Center.

Julielyn Gibbons (liberallucy on MichLib), Darryl Hannah and myself. She is still stunning.

Well, it took some effort and getting past Bob Mullholland who seemed have no clue that there was a credentialed blogger sitting with the delegation, but I am in my seat, plugged into the ethernet and to power.  This fifty state blogging program is pretty incredible.  I have all of the same access as Wolf Blitzer, who I can see sitting right in front of me, if not more.  Unfortunately, I was first told by Mullholland that I didn’t belong there and then that there wasn’t a seat for me.  He softened up a bit, when I explained the program to him and then moved on to insisting that I couldn’t listen to anything he said, nor the people around him.

So a staffer from Rep. Honda’s office wandered around the convention hall with me until we got the official word that I was to be where I was supposed to be.  Anyways, the drama is over and I would much rather be chatting with the delegates than trying to eavesdrop on Mullholland.

Art Torres is now here, though half of the California delegation and quite frankly most other delegations are not here yet.  My buddy Rob Pierson, who I met on the ’06 Charlie Brown race is helping record California’s delegates votes for the Secretary’s office.

Howard Dean just introduced Speaker Nancy Pelosi, naturally the California delegation rose and cheered for our homestate girl.  Steve Maviglio is here.  I think I shall be nice and let him borrow my ethernet cable.

BTW You can follow my twitter feed over here as I go through the week.  I’m helping out with escorting press and VIPs around there when I am not in the convention hall.

[UPDATE] My Rep. Doris Matsui just got done with a short speech. Later tonight we will get to hear a real speech from Speaker Pelosi, not to mention Sen. Teddy Kennedy and Michelle Obama.  The full schedule is here.